BOOM! : Palms & Pelicans ‘Comfortable’

Today’s Track of the Day comes from Southampton band ‘Palms & Pelicans’. We talk to Mattea McKinnon about the new single ‘Comfortable’ and their current tour

South Coast shoegaze quartet Palms & Pelicans are just as dreamy as their name suggests. The Southampton-based four-piece have been perfecting their grunge-pop sound since 2012, and it has paid dividends; with their latest single ‘Comfortable’ encompassing the infectious energy you look for in fresh, young talent – and it’s clear Palms & Pelicans have talent in spades.

Heavy on the drums with a sprinkling of delightful vocals, the quartet have combined the perfect ingredients to create easy-listening dream-pop. The contrast of Mattea McKinnon’s delicate voice and Jack Lawrence’s stronger presence give a unique twist, and you can tell why Palms & Pelicans are already gaining plaudits from BBC Introducing et al.

Amidst touring and preparing for the release of their latest EP, Mattea had a chat with GIGsoup to talk about what the future holds for the promising band.

You’ve just started your tour to support your latest single, ‘Comfortable.’ Is playing live the ultimate moment for a band – or do you prefer being in the studio making the music?We absolutely love both to be honest. Creating in the studio is always fun but ultimately nothing beats the buzz of being on stage.

How did you decide on your musical style, and are there any notable influences in your music?It wasn’t something we really thought about too much – it was a question of what came out naturally. We’re all influenced by a huge range of genres, from Grunge to Progressive House to Shoegaze and Pop! Whatever suits the mood.

You have two EPs under your belt now, with another one due out soon. Do you feel like you’re ready for an album?I think the way people respond to music is forever changing. We want to get as much music out as we can to build our fan base and releasing EP’s seems to be working. It would be incredible to record an album one day, but for now we’re sticking to trickling music out bit by bit!

Do you have any plans for the summer in the form of festivals?This summer we’re playing some local festivals and finishing off playing Smoked & Uncut festival with King Charles. We’ll also be releasing brand new music so we’ll be busy making music videos and promoting the new tracks, we can’t wait.

What can we expect from you for the rest of 2016 – are you a band who have a set plan, or do you prefer to see where life takes you?We have dates for the obvious things like releasing music but we don’t have a master band plan really, as you never know what is round the corner. We are just going to keep doing what we love and see where it takes us. Plus we have a cracking manager who organises us and encourages us to make sure we’re reaching our full potential!

This Palms & Pelicans article was written by Natalie Whitehouse, a GIGsoup contributor.

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23-year-old social media account manager (yes, I tweet for a living). Writing has always been a passion of mine, taking it to degree level to study English Language and Journalism. My love of music (indie/alternative vibes, unless I'm in the gym where it's Jay Z et al all the way...) and sharing my opinions led me to GIGsoup, where I am both a writer and senior editor.